TagACC(1548)

A February 2002 technical review by GeoSyntec Consultants, submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, raises serious concerns about the Port of Seattle's low flow water analysis for the Sea-Tac Airport Third Runway expansion project. The review argues that the Port's models fail to account for the years-long delay before water would flow through the new embankment fill and reach surrounding creeks, potentially leaving those creeks without adequate water during the critical early years of operation. GeoSyntec concluded that the proposed underground storage vaults may be significantly undersized and that the Port has not reliably demonstrated the project will meet required streamflow conditions.

This is a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) waste discharge permit issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology to Cascade Pole and Lumber Company, a wood preserving facility in Tacoma, Washington. The permit, valid from March 2002 to March 2007, authorizes the company to discharge treated stormwater and process wastewater into the Blair Waterway and Puyallup River, subject to strict discharge limits, monitoring requirements, and pollution prevention measures. Note: this document pertains to water quality regulation and does not contain information related to Sea-Tac Airport noise policy.

This document (AR 019657) is a site map of an active construction area at what appears to be Sea-Tac Airport, showing a restricted AOA (Air Operations Area) zone, embankments, and Lagoon 3. Handwritten annotations reference two stockpiles dated 1997 and 1999, with approximate volumes of 400,000 cubic yards and 2,100,000 cubic yards respectively. The map was entered as Exhibit 284 on 2/7/02, with witness Clark and court reporter Diane Mills.

A February 2002 technical letter from GeoSyntec Consultants, submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition, raises serious concerns about the Port of Seattle's water flow analysis for the proposed Sea-Tac Third Runway expansion. The letter argues that the Port's analysis fails to account for the years-long delay before water would flow through the new embankment fill into drainage systems, potentially leaving nearby creeks without adequate water during the critical early years of operation. GeoSyntec concludes that the storage vaults designed to protect creek water levels may be significantly undersized due to flawed modeling assumptions and an overestimation of how quickly water would move through the embankment soil.

A February 2002 technical letter from GeoSyntec Consultants, submitted to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on behalf of the Airport Communities Coalition, raises serious concerns about the Port of Seattle's water flow analysis for the Sea-Tac Third Runway expansion project. The report argues that the Port's analysis fails to account for the years-long delay before water would flow through the new embankment fill and reach surrounding creeks, potentially leaving those creeks without adequate water during the critical early years after construction. GeoSyntec concludes that the storage vaults designed to protect creek water levels are likely undersized and that the Port has not reliably demonstrated the project will meet low streamflow requirements.

This February 6, 2002 letter from Helsell Fetterman LLP transmits field notes from a January 28, 2002 site visit by wetlands experts Peter Willing and Bill Rozeboom, submitted as part of the legal case Airport Communities Coalition v. Ecology and Port of Seattle (PCHB No. 01-160). The handwritten field notes document observations of water resources, drainage structures, and site conditions at or near Sea-Tac Airport. The materials were shared with multiple parties involved in the Pollution Control Hearings Board proceeding.

Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB) case 01-160 denial of summary judgment filed by Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) against Washington State Department of Ecology and Port Of Seattle. ACC sought a ruling that Ecology’s §401 certification lacked reasonable assurance that Port Of Seattle had legal means to permanently mitigate low stream flow impacts of the Third

This document is a declaration by environmental scientist Dyanne Sheldon, submitted in support of the Airport Communities Coalition's motion for a stay in a Washington State Pollution Control Hearings Board case challenging permits issued to the Port of Seattle. Sheldon outlines her extensive background as a wetland ecologist and land-use planner, including her role in creating King County's pioneering wetland management program in the early 1980s. The case centers on a Section 401 Water Quality Certification and Coastal Zone Management Act concurrency statement issued to the Port of Seattle in connection with Sea-Tac Airport expansion activities.

This 2002 legal declaration by wetland scientist Dyanne Sheldon challenges the adequacy of environmental protections attached to a Washington State Department of Ecology water quality certification related to Sea-Tac Airport expansion. Sheldon argues that the groundwater and wetland performance standards required under the 401 Certification are too vague and scientifically flawed to reliably measure success or failure, citing problems such as undefined 'normal rainfall' baselines and an over-reliance on qualitative wetland plant ratings from the 1980s. The declaration was submitted in support of the Airport Communities Coalition's motion for a stay of the certification before the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board.

This legal document is part of a Pollution Control Hearings Board case in which the Airport Communities Coalition (ACC) challenged the Port of Seattle and the Washington State Department of Ecology over environmental concerns related to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The document lists scientific references and studies relied upon by ACC's expert witnesses, covering topics such as the effects of airport deicing chemicals on water quality, dissolved oxygen levels in receiving streams, toxicity to aquatic life including salmon and trout, and fluoride impacts on fish. The referenced research was used to support ACC's claims about the environmental impact of airport operations on surrounding waterways and ecosystems.